


Ducks Have Feelings, Too, Jace!

by clockworknobody



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Ducks, F/M, M/M, Magnus as a therapist (sort of), anatidaephobia, caring friends and family, just a light-hearted fanfic, meant to be funny, probably really stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-18 13:40:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18700735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockworknobody/pseuds/clockworknobody
Summary: anatidaephobia - the fear that somewhere in the world, a duck or a goose is watching him/her (not attacking or touching, simply watching the individual)In which Jace Herondale confesses his fear of ducks, goes to Central Park to cure said fear, and then comes to the realization that, perhaps, his fear is valid.





	Ducks Have Feelings, Too, Jace!

**Author's Note:**

> So this was inspired by my mom and me eating out at Chile's, and I began telling her about Shadowhunters and how a running gag is about the Herondales and their fear of ducks. I then told her that there is an actual name for it, and it inspired me to write this oneshot about Jace.

Jonathan Christopher Herondale had a serious problem. It was something he didn't understand in the slightest, and he didn't know how to talk to his family about it. No one else he knew seemed to have this problem, which just made him feel more alone. His problem was this: 

He was completely and utterly terrified of ducks. And some geese. But mostly just ducks.

From what he knew about his family's history, he was not the only one to suffer from this particular phobia. His ancestor, Will Herondale, had also not been terribly fond of the animals himself, and Jace often wished Will was still alive so he could talk to him about it. But Will had been dead for over eighty years, so unless Jace wanted to risk raising him from the dead and living with the consequences for the rest of his life, that probably wouldn't happen. (Admittedly, in one of his lowest moments, he'd seriously considered the option, but he'd gotten past that.)

It was a slow day in the Institute when Jace finally mustered up the courage to confide in his girlfriend, Clary Fairchild. He found in his sister Isabelle's room, where they were painting each other's nails.

"Go away, Jace," Izzy said immediately, not looking up from where she was slowly and evenly brushing the polish onto Clary's big toe. "We're busy."

"Yeah, don't interrupt girl time," Clary agreed. At least she cared enough to glance up at him and flash him a small smile.

"I need to talk to you," Jace continued, ignoring Izzy's eye roll.

"Sorry, Clary's incapacitated right now," Izzy mumbled. "I'm painting her toes, so she won't be able to walk properly for the next hour or so."

Undeterred, Jace shut the door behind him and slumped in a chair in the corner of his sister's bedroom. "I'll wait," he said. Maybe this was a good thing. It would give him the opportunity to think through how he was going to tell his girlfriend and his sister about his fear of ducks.

The silence stretched on for what seemed like forever. Both girls were intent on painting each other's nails, and when Jace shifted in the chair and caused it to squeak a little; he almost felt guilty for interrupting the silence.

"Okay, first coat's done," Izzy announced with a triumphant look in her eye. Jace recognized that look—it was the same expression she got after she successfully killed a demon.

"Can I talk now?" Jace asked, and Clary held up a finger. And so the silence continued.

After several more minutes, Clary twisted the lid of the nail polish back on and leaned back, stretching. "Okay, now you can talk."

"Great." Jace had already been sitting in Izzy's room over half an hour. It was finally time to reveal why he had truly come here in the first place. "I need to confess something to you two," he started. "And I know you two are gonna laugh, but this is something I've been struggling with for a while."

"You're gay," Izzy said immediately, and both Clary and Jace looked at her confused.

"Um. No." Jace looked at his girlfriend. "I'm not. Really." He looked at them both earnestly. "Please. Take this seriously."

Both of the girls' expressions turned serious, and Clary furrowed her brow in concern.  "We would  _never_   laugh at something that's important to you, Jace," she said sincerely.

Jace nodded his appreciation. He took a deep, calming breath and whispered, "I'm afraid of ducks."

Izzy leaned forward. "I'm sorry, what did you say? I could've sworn you just said you were afraid of ducks."

Jace covered his face with his hands. "That's exactly what I said," he admitted, sounding muffled.

There was a long silence, and he heard a weird noise that sounded like a cross between a snort and a cough. He peeked out at the girls between his fingers and spotted them both cracking up.

"Hey!" he cried, indignantly. He looked accusingly at Clary. "I thought you said you wouldn't laugh at something that was important to me."

She looked at him. At least she had the decency to try and hide her laughter, unlike his sister who was curled into the fetal position with tears in her eyes. "I know, but..." she bit her lip. "You aren't serious, are you?"

"Yes, I'm being completely serious!" Jace insisted, waving his arms wildly. "I don't know why, but I get really nervous around ducks. Sometimes it's when I just  _think_ about ducks being nearby."

Clary's face turned thoughtful. "Is that why you avoid Central Park as much as possible?" she asked, and Jace nodded.  _Maybe she gets it,_ he thought.

"Okay," Clary said, "so... I don't get it."  _Never mind,_ Jace thought. "But if this is something you're being serious about"—she paused here and gave him a stern look—"and you're not just messing with us..."

He shook his head emphatically. "I am not messing with either one of you. I promise."

"Then... what do you want us to do?" Clary asked. "Not to be blunt, but I don't know if that's even a legitimate phobia. And even if it isn't, there probably aren't therapists to help people get over this..."

"Have you told Alec?" Izzy asked, sitting up. She had calmed down significantly from her fit of laughter.

Jace shook his head. "I know I should since he's my  _parabatai_ and all, but I don't want him to think I've completely lost it."

"Oh, honey." Izzy placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "He already thinks that. I don't think there's anything you can do to stop him from thinking that."

"Where is Alec anyway?" Jace asked.

"He's spending the night at Magnus's," Clary answered. "And you should really tell him, Jace. He's your  _parabatai_ . He deserves to know."

Jace sighed, knowing his girlfriend was right. "Okay," he agreed, "let's go over to Magnus's and tell him."

 

***

 

It took them forever to get to Magnus's apartment. Jace had never gone there unsolicited, and Clary and Isabelle had forgotten the way. Jace realized how dependent they all were on Magnus's Portals, which was the generally preferred mode of transportation in the Shadow World. Personally, Jace liked the vampire motorcycles that ran on demon energy. It was so freeing to be up in the sky at night above the hustle and bustle of New York—plus, while he was on a vampire bike, there was no chance of running into a duck. 

When they finally found Magnus's apartment, it took him equally as long to answer the door. (For some reason, the doorbell refused to work.) When the knocking on the door finally did cause Magnus to open it, Jace chose to ignore the fact that the High Warlock was shirtless and only opened the door halfway.

The moment Magnus spotted the three of them, he sighed and let his head drop. "What could you Nephilim possibly want  _now_ ?" he complained, then gave Clary a wink. "Not you, biscuit. You know I'm always glad to see you."

"Jace here needs to confess something to Alec that he's been hiding from him his whole life," Izzy explained, giving Jace a hard thump on his back. He supposed it was meant to be encouraging, but it hurt too much.

"You're not gay, too, are you?" Magnus asked, and Jace shook his head.

"No, I'm not," he said. "Can I please just talk to Alec?"

"One moment, please," Magnus said sweetly before slamming the door in their faces. Through his rune-enhanced hearing abilities, Jace could hear some rustling and Magnus telling Alec to put on some pants. He felt he knew where things had been heading for his  _parabatai_   and his warlock boyfriend, and he felt bad for interrupting things. But he had just come out to Izzy and Clary about his duck phobia and was on a roll. He wanted to come clean to Alec, too.

"Alright, you can come in," Magnus called from inside.

Jace pushed open the door and took in the living room. Two empty wineglasses were on the table with empty plates beside them. Jace turned his attention to his brother and his  _parabatai_   and took note of Alec's messier-than-usual hair and how flushed his cheeks were. Magnus didn't look unruffled in the slightest, but he had magic to fix himself. 

"What's wrong?" Alec asked, bending down to pull his boots on. Jace noticed Magnus admiring the view.

"Hmm?"

Alec gave him a look. "You three come barging in here on a Friday night after nothing exciting occurring at the Institute today with no fire message or text." He glanced at Izzy and Clary. "Aren't you two supposed to be having a girl's night, or something?"

"We were," Izzy said, "before a tall, blond idiot who thinks he's so cool came bursting in on us."

Magnus made himself comfortable on the sofa and raised an eyebrow. "Isabelle, don't flatter Jace. He's not that tall." Magnus waved his fingers and his wineglass instantly refilled. He downed half of it immediately.

"Magnus!" Clary sounded appalled.

"It's alright, biscuit," Magnus reassured her. "I've been alive for centuries—I've learned how to handle my booze. Now, please tell us why you're here so you can get out."

Jace sat down in a chair and gestured for Alec to do the same. Once everyone had gotten themselves situated, Jace leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I've been hiding something that I've been dealing with ever since I moved to the New York Institute and went to Central Park when I was eleven."

"Okay...?" Alec cocked his head to the side. He sat up straighter. "You're not gay, are you?"

"No! Why does everyone keep thinking that?" Jace heard Magnus chuckle softly. Jace calmed down and said, "I'm not gay."

"Okay. So... what is it then?"

Jace squeezed his eyes shut and held Clary's hand tight in his own. "I'm afraid of ducks, Alec."

Once again, there was silence. Then, Alec asked, almost disbelievingly, "Did you just say you're afraid of  _ducks_ ?"

Jace nodded. "I have been for my entire life."

He looked over to where Magnus was sitting and found the warlock had refilled his wineglass yet again.

"Well, you've completely lost it," Alec said, shaking his head.

"I told you he'd say that," Jace said, looking pointedly at Izzy. She rolled her eyes.

"Alec, just think about it," she said. Alec frowned and looked at Jace.

"Is that why you wanted to get out of Central Park so quickly when we were hunting down that Raum demon?" Alec asked, and Jace nodded. He felt so light, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It was nice.

"I told Jace that I don't think there's a therapist or anything who specializes in a phobia of ducks," Clary chimed in. "I don't even know if this is a real thing or—"

"It is," Magnus muttered. Everyone turned to look at him. "It's called anatidaephobia. It's the fear that a duck or goose is always watching you; never attacking, just watching."

"Oh my God, yes, that's exactly what it's like," Jace said, feeling excited. "I just get this feeling like a duck is always just staring and judging my every move."

Isabelle looked at Magnus with a confused look on her face. "How do you know that, Magnus?" she asked, and Jace found himself wondering the same thing.

"I knew your relative, Will Herondale," Magnus said. "He was also terrified of ducks. As were most of your other relatives. Perhaps it's a hereditary thing."

"I actually did know that Will was afraid of ducks, too," Jace said.

"Back then, there was no word for what you and the other Herondales have suffered from," Magnus continued. "They had no way of telling people exactly what they were feeling."

"But why ducks?" Alec burst out, gesturing wildly as he was prone to doing. "I mean, they're pretty innocent, right? Do they just swim all day in their pond, or what? Has a duck ever been reported attacking someone?"

"I have to admit it," Izzy said, "but I don't understand it either. Ducks have feelings too, Jace!"

Jace's mouth dropped open. "Are you two seriously taking the duck's side over mine?" he asked incredulously. He turned to Clary.

"I support you in your anatidaephobia," she said loyally. Jace turned to Magnus who held up his palms near his chest.

"I think all Shadowhunters are insane," Magnus said. "Except for this one, right here." He planted a kiss on Alec's cheek, causing the place he kissed Alec to flush pink.

"What can I do to get over my anatidaephobia?" Jace asked. It felt good to have a real, professional name to describe it.

They all turned to Magnus, who was by far the oldest and wisest and always had the answers. He let out a sigh that suggested that he already had all of Brooklyn to look after, why did he have to worry about ducks now?

"There is this thing mundane therapists do," he began slowly, "called exposure therapy. It involves exposing their patient to the thing that causes them stress to help them get used to it and, eventually, get over it."

Jace gulped. "You mean, I'd have to stand close to a duck?"

Magnus nodded sagely. "It's the only way to help you, my dear boy," he said.

Clary jumped up. "Let's do it," she said.

"Right now?" Jace asked, staring wide-eyed at his girlfriend.

She nodded. "Right now. Why wait? It's only 9:30. The ducks will still be out and about."

Jace stared at his girlfriend, thinking about how attractive it was when she took control of the situation. He could tell how much she believed he could overcome his anatidaephobia just by looking at the conviction in her eyes, and he stood up next to her. "Okay, let's do it," he agreed, and Clary cheered.

Magnus let his eyes drift shut and groaned. "All I wanted was a quiet night in my large, expensive Brooklyn apartment with my hot, Nephilim boyfriend. I turned off my phone, the landline—even though no one uses those anymore—even disabled the doorbell so no one would disturb us. And yet, here I am, an 800-year-old warlock, about to go out to Central Park at 9:30 at night to help a Shadowhunter teenager get over his phobia of ducks."

"Excellent recap," Jace complimented Magnus, who narrowed his cat-like eyes gave him a sharp glare. Jace half-expected Magnus to start hissing and arching his back like a cat.

 

***

 

"This is by far the weirdest thing we've ever done," Alec commented as the group walked near the pond. "Seriously. This is bizarre."

Isabelle smiled somewhat cheekily at her brother. "Just think that out of everyone who lives in New York, we can't be the only people to walk here and help a friend get over their anatidaephobia. Doesn't that thought make you feel so connected to everything?"

"No." Alec's voice was firm. "Not in the least bit."

"Alright, alright," Magnus said, "let's get this ridiculous plan over with so Alec and I can be _alone_ again . You get that?  _Alone._ With not a single other soul in sight."

"Magnus, you were the one who came up with exposure therapy," Clary pointed out, and Magnus let out an exasperated sigh. He'd been doing that a lot this evening.

"I didn't think you'd actually do it," Magnus argued. "I thought it was obvious I was joking. I'm hilarious."

"Hey, this could really help me," Jace said. "Don't you want me to get over my anatidaephobia?"

"If it gets me back home quicker, sure. Do what you need to do," Magnus responded.

They walked off the trail slightly into the grass right up to the pond. Jace squinted in the darkness. His night vision rune made it easier to see, but it was getting dark rather rapidly.

"There," Clary said suddenly, pointing to a dark shape in the distance.

Jace felt his throat tighten up as the shape made its way silently towards them, gliding in the smooth water. He wanted desperately to go back home in the Institute where he was safe, but he was determined to face this duck and get over his fear.

"I believe in you, bro," Izzy said, giving him a lighter punch in the arm. This punch was significantly more encouraging than the one she'd given him at Magnus's.

As the duck approached closer and closer, Jace thought he heard Magnus something about how "this is so stupid," but the duck really was very close now, and Jace didn't have the courage to move.

"Get closer," Magnus urged. "Like, get on your knees and lean in closer."

Jace slowly did as Magnus said and let the duck come closer until it was so close to him that Jace could've touched it if he just stretched a little. It was terrifying and strangely exhilarating at the same time.

"That's not so bad, right?" Clary said, kneeling next to Jace.

"Yeah," Jace admitted, "they're not so bad." He let out a small chuckle. "It seems kind of silly now to be afraid of—"

He was unfortunately cut off by the harmless duck lunging at him in the water. Jace screamed—later, Izzy would describe it as the screech of a five-year-old girl, and everyone else would agree with that description—and tumbled backwards across the grass.

"Jace!" he heard Clary yell.

"W... what... what happened?" he stuttered, gasping. He felt himself trembling all over. He didn't know what to think. One second, he'd been kneeling almost comfortably next to the duck, and then the next, the duck had been attacking him.

"Ah, I was afraid that could happen," Magnus said casually, walking up to where Jace was still sprawled out on the ground.

"Afraid what could happen?" Jace asked, head still reeling.

"Well, although it is very unusual for ducks to attack humans, sometimes unmated male ducks can become aggressive. They can turn to humans to vent their... urges, and their attraction often resembles an attack," Magnus answered, sounding very much like a Wikipedia article.

Izzy snorted. "So, you mean the duck had a little... crush on Jace?"

Clary let out a loud laugh, then clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the noise. Jace could still see her shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Wait, you knew this could happen?" Jace asked Magnus, who nodded.

"Oh, yes. In fact, Will Herondale came to me when he was around your age to ask me to help get rid of his anatidaephobia. We went to Hyde Park in London and was unfortunately attacked by a duck, just like you. Except I think this time it was because he had gotten in the way of a mama duck and her ducklings, and she didn't like that so much." Magnus hooked an arm around Alec. "Shall we return to my apartment and resume our activities?"

Alec glanced down at Jace. "You'll be okay?" he asked. When Jace nodded, he turned to his boyfriend and nodded. "Okay." Before he could say bye to everyone else, Magnus created a Portal that whisked them away.

"C'mon, let's get you back to the Institute," Izzy said, and she and Clary helped Jace up.

"Does anything hurt?" Clary asked. "I have my stele."

"Nothing hurts except my ego," Jace said, "and I don't think that's what  _iratzes_   are meant for."

As they walked back to the Institute, Jace realized he was finally at peace with himself. The people he cared about, his friends, finally knew his deepest secret and had accepted him. They'd even agreed to go out to Central Park at night to try and help him with his anatidaephobia. In that moment, Jace realized how lucky and loved he was.

"Oh, and don't think this means you can join us for the rest of girl's night," Izzy said when they walked into the Institute.

"Definitely not," Clary said. "C'mon, Izzy, we still need to do a second coat of polish on our nails."

They walked off without another word to Jace.


End file.
